Your Right to Know

A former deputy tax commissioner has been convicted of dereliction of duty for his role in
failing to refund more than $30 million in tax overpayments to Ohio businesses.

Rick Anthony, 54, of Hebron, pleaded guilty on Monday and was fined $750 by Franklin County
Municipal Court Judge David C. Young.

Anthony was originally charged on April 25 with five counts of dereliction of duty, a
second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. Four of the counts were dismissed as
part of his plea.

After retiring from the Ohio Department of Taxation, Anthony became operations manager of the
Ohio Casino Control Commission in 2011. He resigned on June 30 after being placed on paid leave
from his $106,630-a-year position on Nov. 26.

Taxation officials said it was department practice not to notify taxpayers of overpayments
unless they specifically inquired about them. Under law, refunds not requested on time, generally
within four years, become property of the state.

In the wake of the report, the department began contacting businesses owed money to arrange
refunds.

The investigation by the office of Inspector General Randall J. Meyer found that Anthony was
aware of the overpayment and refund issue and didn’t act to issue refunds. The report said he also
didn’t approve the payment of interest, as required, on refunds requested by business owners.

Deputy Inspector General Carl Enslen said that Anthony was the only state official to face
criminal charges as a result of the investigation.